The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing a stream of pictures, such as motion pictures. In particular, it relates to a method and an apparatus for motion picture processing using two separate processes.
A general problem with prior art methods for real time motion picture processing is that no provisions are made for automated correction of pictures or picture sequences which the real time processing method cannot handle or handles insufficiently well. The very concept of real time processing of a discrete series of data, whether motion picture processing or not, implies that, without buffering, a fixed and typically short period of time, according to human standards, is available for processing of each time discrete data set. Using buffers, the period of time available for processing of a finite number of sequential pictures may be temporarily increased, at the expense of the time available for the other pictures. The average time available does however remain constant. Manually selecting the pictures in need of alternative or further processing, is naturally a possible solution, but the need for a subsequent manual selection is costly and time consuming.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for processing a stream of pictures, which avoids the problem with prior art methods.
The object is achieved with a method according to claim 1 and an apparatus according to claim 17.
The present invention relates to a method for automated motion picture processing, which comprises the steps of selecting pictures, or portions of pictures, fulfilling a criterion for any measurable quantity, such as a quality measure, for processing in a first processing unit, which is a real time processing unit, and processing the pictures, or portions of pictures, not fulfilling the quality measure in a second processing unit, which can be a non real time processing unit. After processing the pictures selected for processing in the two units, the pictures are combined in correct order.
The method can be realised by stopping the stream of pictures while a picture is processed in the second processing unit, or the pictures processed in the first processing unit are stored in a buffer picture memory, before being combined with the pictures processed in the second processing unit.